


the long game

by knightcommander



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Character Study, F/M, Light Angst, listen folks grizzop... might have a crush, platonic or romantic - you decide!, spoilers... maybe... but only in the foreshadowing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28561482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightcommander/pseuds/knightcommander
Summary: “Yeah, why not? You and me, fighting crime and injustice and boredom and, you know, generally getting stuff done. Could be fun, right?”“Yeah...” She smiled a bit sheepishly. “Sounds.. not bad.”
Relationships: Grizzop drik Acht Amsterdam/Sasha Racket
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	the long game

**Author's Note:**

> a little scene from Cairo I dreamed up while going through all seven stages

“Not bad, really.”

Sasha wiggled her fingers, the coin rippling across her knuckles effortlessly. She was sat cross-legged on the sofa, her dusty boots kicked off onto the floor in a heap. “Bit weird now. Havin’ the finger back.”

“Right,” Grizzop replied, “guess that makes it easier though, right?”

“Eh.” Her brow deepened with focus. “Different, I ‘spose.”

Grizzop followed her gaze, watching as the rough silver coin danced between her fingers, looping up and down and then back around onto the thumb. They were sitting across from each other in one of the numerous al Tahan lounges, whiling away the late evening hours with idle chit-chat, drinks, and coin tricks. Grizzop leaned forward, trying to follow Sasha’s fingers as they began to twist the coin faster and faster. As he stared, he began to notice all the little scars and nicks that laced her fingers, so numerous they were nearly indistinguishable. He cleared his throat. “You’ve gotta feel better being, er, alive.”

“Yeah, you know. _Slower_. But not dying in a month? ‘Is pretty nice, I reckon.”

“I’ll bet,” he said with a snort. “Now you’ve got loads of time.”

“Yeah, I ‘spose.” She fumbled the coin suddenly, dropping it onto the hardwood flooring with a _plunk_. She cursed incoherently under her breath, scrabbling after it. “It’s the new finger. Gets in the way.”

Grizzop’s ears dropped sympathetically. “It looked great before. You’re really good at this stuff. I mean, I’d watch you do coin or knife or juggling or whatever-it-is tricks all day.”

“Yeah?” Sasha said, picking up the coin and slipping it back into her pocket. “Better with the knives, I think.”

For a moment, he watched as Sasha pulled out several blades, inspecting them sullenly, her hands listless as she turned them over between her fingers. Finally, she flipped the fire dagger up into the air, ember pinwheels lighting up the space between them. Grizzop sighed, concern cutting through his scratchy voice. “You alright, Sasha? You seem a bit, ah, down. We should be really celebrating right?” 

“Yeah... sorry. Just distracted.” She carefully avoided Grizzop’s gaze, instead fidgeting with the dagger. “It’s all just a bit weird to think about.”

“You mean being made un-undead.”

“Yeah, like. Why me, you know? And the Meritocrats helpin’? It’s just all a lot, I guess.”

For a moment, Sasha seemed to crumple, her shoulders deflating as she shrunk into her leather jacket. If she wasn’t fiddling with her dagger, she was picking at her fingers. And if she wasn’t picking at her fingers, she was taking hurried sips of her halfling wine. Grizzop idly wondered how many times he would need to say, _hey, you matter!_ , before it finally stuck – not that he minded repeating himself on that particular subject. He straightened his posture, peering into Sasha’s downcast eyes with blunt sincerity. “Well, look, you deserve it. Maybe someone up there realized you needed more time.”

“Eh. I guess.” She shrugged, eyes still glued to the floor. “Don’t know what to do with it. You know. When we ‘ent saving the world and all that.”

“Right, so you’ve never thought about what you’ll do... after?”

“After? Nah, mate, never had a head for that kind of thing.” She chuckled hollowly. “See, growin’ up I didn’t make plans. Someone else always did that for me.”

His eyes narrowed. “That’s that Barret fellow you mentioned.”

“Yeah.” Sasha twisted the dagger up in her hand, letting it drop into her other hand unexpectedly.

“Right, so, maybe _that_ should be your plan.”

Sasha looked up sharply, her gaze finally meeting Grizzop’s. “Nah, you don’t understand. He’s a big target. Got lots of friends. Lots of tricks.”

“So?” Grizzop smiled, his big mouth flashing sharp teeth. “I bet we could take him.”

“We?” Sasha chuckled incredulously.

“Yeah, why not? You and me, fighting crime and injustice and boredom and, you know, generally getting stuff done. Could be fun, right?”

“Yeah...” She smiled a bit sheepishly. “Sounds.. not bad.”

“Right? See, now you have a plan! When this is all over, we’ll just pop over to London and take care of him and then, you know. Take on the next big guy.”

“You’re makin’ it sound easy.”

“The two of us? Havin’ each other’s backs? You with the knives, me with the bow?” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah. Easy.”

“Hm.” She scowled, a bit unconvinced. “Is a good plan though. For, like, the future. Like, it’s a good goal, I mean.” She tossed her ice dagger up, snow drifting from the blade as it spun. “You’ve got it all figured out, Grizzop.”

A toothy smile. “Mm. Not really. But we’ve got time now, you know? To mull it over.” He paused thoughtfully. “Figure out what’s important.”

Sasha did her best to awkwardly suppress a genuine smile - and failed. “Yeah, ‘spose you’re right. We’ve got time.”


End file.
